US6730528B1 - Mask set for measuring an overlapping error and method of measuring an overlapping error using the same - Google Patents
Mask set for measuring an overlapping error and method of measuring an overlapping error using the same Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US6730528B1 US6730528B1 US08/999,401 US99940197A US6730528B1 US 6730528 B1 US6730528 B1 US 6730528B1 US 99940197 A US99940197 A US 99940197A US 6730528 B1 US6730528 B1 US 6730528B1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- mask
- measuring
- patterns
- unit
- overlapping error
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Fee Related
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Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/027—Making masks on semiconductor bodies for further photolithographic processing not provided for in group H01L21/18 or H01L21/34
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03F—PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR
- G03F9/00—Registration or positioning of originals, masks, frames, photographic sheets or textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. automatically
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L2223/00—Details relating to semiconductor or other solid state devices covered by the group H01L23/00
- H01L2223/544—Marks applied to semiconductor devices or parts
- H01L2223/54453—Marks applied to semiconductor devices or parts for use prior to dicing
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L23/00—Details of semiconductor or other solid state devices
- H01L23/544—Marks applied to semiconductor devices or parts, e.g. registration marks, alignment structures, wafer maps
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L2924/00—Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
- H01L2924/0001—Technical content checked by a classifier
- H01L2924/0002—Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a mask set for measuring an overlapping error and method of measuring an overlapping error using the same.
- the present invention relates to a mask set for measuring an overlapping error and method of measuring an overlapping error which can identify an degree of overlapping error generated in all directions during the photolithography developing process and also can easily determine whether an overlapping error occurs or not even using a microscope having a low magnifying power.
- the degree of overlapping alignment between an underlying layer and an upper layer or between an underlying layer and an impurity diffusion layer becomes an important factor in reliability of the device. Accordingly, a mask, on which a mark for measuring an overlapping error is formed, is commonly used to measure the degree of overlapping alignment.
- FIG. 1 shows a conventional mask for measuring an overlapping error.
- the mask for measuring an overlapping error is consisted of main patterns 1 and sub patterns 2 formed in the upper and underlying layer These patterns can measure an overlapping error created in only one direction of the X-axis or Y-axis direction. However, in case that an overlapping error created in both directions is measured, a measure operation are performed twice by this pattern. In addition, when a microscope having a high magnifying power is used and the patterns become more fined, a measuring error occurs frequently due to aberration of a lens and difference of a measuring point (eye) and a determining point of the measuring scale. Accordingly, although dedicated measurement equipments has been developed, there are problems that they are expensive in cost and a processing time is delayed.
- a mask set for measuring an overlapping error comprises a first mask consisted of a mask substrate on which a plurality of unit patterns are formed.
- the plurality of unit patterns are arranged in radial shape round a given center.
- the mask set of the present invention further comprises a second mask consisted of a mask substrate on which a plurality of unit patterns are formed.
- the plurality of unit patterns of the second mask are arranged in same shape as the plurality of unit patterns of the first mask, whereby when the first and second masks are overlapped to each other, the unit pattern of the first mark and the neighboring unit pattern of the second mask maintains a certain angle.
- a method of measuring an overlapping error comprises the steps of forming first measuring patterns on a wafer using a first mask on which a plurality of unit patterns are arranged in radial shape round a given center; forming overlapping second measuring patterns on said wafer using a second mask on which a plurality of unit patterns are arranged in same shape as the plurality of unit patterns of the first mask, whereby the first measuring patterns formed by the first mask and the second measuring patterns formed by the second mask maintains a certain angle; identifying an overlapping error between the first measuring patterns and said second measuring patterns; calculating a value of the overlapping error.
- FIG. 1 shows a conventional pattern for measuring an overlapping error.
- FIG. 2 is a plan view of a first mask for measuring an overlapping error according to the present invention.
- FIG. 3 is a plan view of a second mask for measuring an overlapping error according to the present invention.
- FIG. 4A to FIG. 4C show the shape of the measuring patterns formed on a wafer win the first and second mask according to the present invention are applied.
- FIG. 5A illustrates the principles of calculating a value of an overlapping error.
- FIG. 5B is a detail view of a portion of 5 B in FIG. 5A
- FIG. 6A shows measuring guides for identifying the measuring patterns.
- FIG. 6B is a detail view of a portion of 6 B in FIG. 5 A.
- FIG. 2 is a plan view of a first mask for measuring an overlapping error according to the present invention.
- a first mask 10 is consisted of a plurality of unit patterns 12 which are formed on a mask substrate 11 .
- the plurality of unit patterns 12 are extended radially round a give center.
- Two unit patterns 12 which are adjacent from each other form an angle of 2 ⁇ 1 .
- FIG. 3 is a plan view of a second mask for measuring an overlapping error according to the present invention.
- a second mask 20 is consisted of a plurality of unit patterns 22 which are formed on a mask substrate 21 .
- the plurality of unit patterns 22 are extended radially round a give center.
- Two unit patterns 22 which are adjacent from each other form an angle of 2 ⁇ 1 .
- an angle of 2 ⁇ 1 between the neighboring unit patterns 12 or 22 is in the range between 0° and 90°.
- the unit patterns 12 and 22 are a dark pattern made of materials such as chrome or a clear pattern such as quartz forming a mask substrate.
- an angle between the one unit pattern 12 of the first mark 10 and the neighboring unit pattern 22 of the second mask 20 is ⁇ 1 . That is, an angle between the one unit pattern 12 of the first mask 10 and the neighboring unit pattern 22 of the second mask 20 is in the range between 0° and 45°.
- FIG. 4A to FIG. 4C show the shapes of the measuring patterns formed on a test wafer when a lithography process is performed by means of the first and second mask for measuring an overlapping error according to the present invention.
- first measuring patterns 110 are formed on the test wafer by the first mask 10
- second measuring patterns 210 are formed on the test wafer by the second mask 20 in overlapped state.
- FIG. 4A shows that the measuring error does not occurred
- FIG. 4B shows that the measuring error occurs in direction of Y axis
- FIG. 4C shows that the measuring error occurs in direction of X axis.
- measuring patterns 110 and 210 are noticeable through a microscope having a low magnifying power or a baked eye depending on the case.
- two measuring patterns 110 and 210 are overlapped, they are greatly distorted in shape even for a fine overlapping error, therefore, it possible to easily identify an overlapping error.
- deviation toward the X-axis and Y-axis direction or any direction can be also identified by shape of ellipse.
- FIG. 5A is a view for illustrating the principles of calculating a value of the overlapping error when the measuring patterns are deviated in direction of the Y-axis as shown in FIG. 4B
- FIG. 5B is a detail view of a portion of 5 B in FIG. 5 A.
- a value of overlapping error is measured at the line of apsides of the ellipse in which two measuring patterns 110 and 210 are overlapped, and is calculated by the following Equation 1:
- ⁇ x and ⁇ y are values of actual overlapping error
- ⁇ r is a distance from a central point of a circle to a cross point of the patterns 110 and 210 ;
- ⁇ 2 is a deviation angle of the first and second measuring patterns 110 and 210 .
- the first and second measuring guides 120 and 220 are formed on the unit patterns 12 and 22 of the first and second masks 10 and 20 , respectively in order to identify the first and second measuring patterns 110 and 220 .
- each first measuring guide 120 is formed on a left side of the each unit pattern 12 of the first mask 10
- the each second measuring guide 220 is formed on a right side of the each unit pattern 22 of the second mask 20 , as shown in FIG. 6 A and FIG. 6 B. Therefore, the each first measuring guide 120 formed on the each unit pattern 12 and the each second measuring guide 220 formed on the each unit pattern 22 are faced each other.
- a value of the overlapping error ⁇ y can be defined as follows:
- an overlapping error can easily identified by a microscope or by a baked eye. Also, the overlapping errors generated in a directions of Y-axis and X-axis can be measured simultaneously.
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- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
- Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
- Power Engineering (AREA)
- Preparing Plates And Mask In Photomechanical Process (AREA)
- Exposure And Positioning Against Photoresist Photosensitive Materials (AREA)
- Exposure Of Semiconductors, Excluding Electron Or Ion Beam Exposure (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims (6)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US10/793,743 US20050172256A1 (en) | 1996-12-28 | 2004-03-08 | Mask set for measuring an overlapping error and method of measuring an overlapping error using the same |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
KR96-74999 | 1996-12-28 | ||
KR1019960074999A KR100223272B1 (en) | 1996-12-28 | 1996-12-28 | Mark for measuring overlap error and correting method using the same |
Related Child Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/793,743 Division US20050172256A1 (en) | 1996-12-28 | 2004-03-08 | Mask set for measuring an overlapping error and method of measuring an overlapping error using the same |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US6730528B1 true US6730528B1 (en) | 2004-05-04 |
Family
ID=19491735
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US08/999,401 Expired - Fee Related US6730528B1 (en) | 1996-12-28 | 1997-12-22 | Mask set for measuring an overlapping error and method of measuring an overlapping error using the same |
US10/793,743 Abandoned US20050172256A1 (en) | 1996-12-28 | 2004-03-08 | Mask set for measuring an overlapping error and method of measuring an overlapping error using the same |
Family Applications After (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/793,743 Abandoned US20050172256A1 (en) | 1996-12-28 | 2004-03-08 | Mask set for measuring an overlapping error and method of measuring an overlapping error using the same |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (2) | US6730528B1 (en) |
KR (1) | KR100223272B1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
KR20030053224A (en) * | 2001-12-22 | 2003-06-28 | 주식회사 하이닉스반도체 | Overlay measurement pattern for semiconductor |
Citations (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3497705A (en) * | 1968-02-12 | 1970-02-24 | Itek Corp | Mask alignment system using radial patterns and flying spot scanning |
US4929083A (en) | 1986-06-19 | 1990-05-29 | Xerox Corporation | Focus and overlay characterization and optimization for photolithographic exposure |
-
1996
- 1996-12-28 KR KR1019960074999A patent/KR100223272B1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
-
1997
- 1997-12-22 US US08/999,401 patent/US6730528B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2004
- 2004-03-08 US US10/793,743 patent/US20050172256A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3497705A (en) * | 1968-02-12 | 1970-02-24 | Itek Corp | Mask alignment system using radial patterns and flying spot scanning |
US4929083A (en) | 1986-06-19 | 1990-05-29 | Xerox Corporation | Focus and overlay characterization and optimization for photolithographic exposure |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
KR100223272B1 (en) | 1999-10-15 |
US20050172256A1 (en) | 2005-08-04 |
KR19980055763A (en) | 1998-09-25 |
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